31 replies to this topic

[Ludachris]

My wife and I have been tossing around the idea of canceling our DirecTV subscription. We've found work arounds for just about everything we like to watch through a combination of streaming services like Hulu, Netflix, an HD digital antenna, and various apps through her iPhone and my Android phone - everything except F1 qualifying and races. And that's the one thing I record and watch religiously these days.

 

I've found that practice, qualifying, and races are not easily accessible outside of the cable broadcasts, BBC has it locked down pretty tight. Being in the US, watching live streaming isn't always a realistic option, and with little ones in the house, I find myself watching the broadcasts a day or so later after the girls go to bed when I have free time. Looks like I don't have very many options available to do this without a cable subscription. I did find this one article that looks promising but I couldn't contact the author to ask questions:

http://michael-brown...utting-the-cord

 

If BBC has qualifying and the race available for download for a few days after the fact on their site I would be good to go. But the author says it's only available in Europe. Is that true? Any idea if his technique of getting a VPN with the server located in Europe and then signing up for an iPlayer account will actually do the trick? Is there an easier way? If not I'm completely willing to try it out. 

 

Anyone have any other proven (legit) methods to be able to watch recorded races and qualifying sessions that don't include bit torrents? 

 

Thanks in advance. 

[FatHippo]

How are you receiving? By satellite dish? If so you could try foreign broadcasters? As an alternative: German broadcaster RTL has a legal free live-feed that's not geo-locked AFAIK. You wouldn't understand the commentators, but on second thought I think that's a blessing rather than a problem.

[SenorSjon]

Races are posted on newsgroups. You can download them and watch them at your leasure.

[FatHippo]

Races are posted on newsgroups. You can download them and watch them at your leasure.

 

If I understood the OP correctly, he's looking for something that isn't illegal. downloading a race video from the newsgroups is illegal unless specifically released for it by the respective broadcaster.

 

[MikeV1987]

Most of the time my only option is bit-torrent If I can't catch the BBC broadcast on TSN. I usually plug my macbook into my TV in the living room so I can watch comfortably. I have not found any other ways of getting good coverage.

Edited by MikeV1987, 14 February 2014 - 15:51.

[balmybaldwin]

Have a look on the bbc site and try to watch something from a few days ago... I'm fairly sure it will work for you abroad.  If not (due to license rights etc) then you could go for a IP masking service or other relay site... look here for more info: http://www.ukclimbin.../t.php?t=521633 WatchUKTVabroad for £4.99 per month (approx $7) sounds pretty decent.

 

Remember of course the BBC don't show all the races/quali live anymore!

[SenorSjon]

If I understood the OP correctly, he's looking for something that isn't illegal. downloading a race video from the newsgroups is illegal unless specifically released for it by the respective broadcaster.

 

Here downloading is legal.

[FatHippo]

Here downloading is legal.

 

Where is 'here'?

[pdac]

Here downloading is legal.

 

Must be FOM headquarters - can't imagine it's legal anywhere else

[Gilles4Ever]

Posts have been removed. Please make sure any advice or links given is for 100% legal means of viewing races. 

[Nonesuch]

Must be FOM headquarters - can't imagine it's legal anywhere else

 

Here in the Netherlands it is perfectly legal to make copies for limited, non-commercial and private use.

 

There is an indirect payment as part of a small fee on most things that have storage capability (from HDDs to USB-drives to Laptops).

 

The only problem in this particular case is that it is specifically for 'literature, science and art'.

 

So e-books, movies, tv shows etc. are fine, but I don't think sports like F1 fall under any of those categories.

 

 

How are you receiving? By satellite dish? If so you could try foreign broadcasters? As an alternative: German broadcaster RTL has a legal free live-feed that's not geo-locked AFAIK. You wouldn't understand the commentators, but on second thought I think that's a blessing rather than a problem.

 

Good suggestion.

 

There is a free Belgian channel (French language) as well. I've been going back and forth between the German, Belgian and British broadcasts to avoid the Dutch paywall. Worked out fine in 2013.

Edited by Nonesuch, 14 February 2014 - 19:41.

[jonpollak]

- insert NSC advertisement here -
Jp

[Frank Tuesday]

If BBC has qualifying and the race available for download for a few days after the fact on their site I would be good to go. But the author says it's only available in Europe. Is that true? Any idea if his technique of getting a VPN with the server located in Europe and then signing up for an iPlayer account will actually do the trick? Is there an easier way? If not I'm completely willing to try it out. 

 

Anyone have any other proven (legit) methods to be able to watch recorded races and qualifying sessions that don't include bit torrents? 

I guess from my perspective using a computer program to access material that you aren't entitled to is the same, whether it is a torrent or VPN.  BBC doesn't have the right to make it available to people in the USA.  NBC pays for the exclusive rights for F1 in the USA.  Getting it from the BBC via your VPN is the same as torrenting a copy of the BBC broadcast.  Either way, you're bypassing the rights holder where you live.    

[trogggy]

Anyone have any other proven (legit) methods to be able to watch recorded races and qualifying sessions that don't include bit torrents? 

There isn't a legit method.

Having said that ExpatShield (assuming you're using a windows pc) is a free, easy way to acquire a uk ip address as and when you want.

[stairpotato]

I guess from my perspective using a computer program to access material that you aren't entitled to is the same, whether it is a torrent or VPN.  BBC doesn't have the right to make it available to people in the USA.  NBC pays for the exclusive rights for F1 in the USA.  Getting it from the BBC via your VPN is the same as torrenting a copy of the BBC broadcast.  Either way, you're bypassing the rights holder where you live.    

 

Totally agree.  In my view it's one thing for someone from the UK - who pays a UK licence fee and is perhaps holidaying in the US to use a VPN to access content.  It's another altogether for someone in the US to bypass legitimate rights protection systems - and stream UK content - just because he's too cheap to pay for it... 

 

Additionally - it maybe legal to make a copy of a tv programme for your own purposes - but it's illegal to share that on the internet for others.  

[SenorSjon]

Where is 'here'?

 

Here is the Netherlands.

 

Totally agree.  In my view it's one thing for someone from the UK - who pays a UK licence fee and is perhaps holidaying in the US to use a VPN to access content.  It's another altogether for someone in the US to bypass legitimate rights protection systems - and stream UK content - just because he's too cheap to pay for it... 

 

Additionally - it maybe legal to make a copy of a tv programme for your own purposes - but it's illegal to share that on the internet for others.  

 

The clue is, you are the downloader, not the uploader. So you are not sharing anything. The one that puts it up there is illegal, the one downloading it for private use not. But this isn't helping the TS much. F1 is hopelessly left behind on the digital department.

[Ludachris]

Totally agree.  In my view it's one thing for someone from the UK - who pays a UK licence fee and is perhaps holidaying in the US to use a VPN to access content.  It's another altogether for someone in the US to bypass legitimate rights protection systems - and stream UK content - just because he's too cheap to pay for it... 

 

Additionally - it maybe legal to make a copy of a tv programme for your own purposes - but it's illegal to share that on the internet for others.  

In that sense I wish F1 had a licensing fee available to pay separately. As of right now, we are paying $70+ per month, plus taxes and additional fees, which usually comes out to about $100 per month for satellite service, which is the minimum package required to get the F1 broadcasts. As I said, we found that we could stream everything else we wanted, legally, by using apps and services through our cel phones and have them stream on our TVs at the house, all for about $15/month - all except F1. It's tough to justify an additional $1020 per year just to watch the F1 broadcasts on DirecTV (the main satellite provider here in the US) when everything else on TV is becoming accessible on broadband services these days.

 

If there is no legal way, then maybe I'll just take a break from it until they make a broadband option available. 

[pdac]

In that sense I wish F1 had a licensing fee available to pay separately. As of right now, we are paying $70+ per month, plus taxes and additional fees, which usually comes out to about $100 per month for satellite service, which is the minimum package required to get the F1 broadcasts. As I said, we found that we could stream everything else we wanted, legally, by using apps and services through our cel phones and have them stream on our TVs at the house, all for about $15/month - all except F1. It's tough to justify an additional $1020 per year just to watch the F1 broadcasts on DirecTV (the main satellite provider here in the US) when everything else on TV is becoming accessible on broadband services these days.

 

If there is no legal way, then maybe I'll just take a break from it until they make a broadband option available. 

 

I'm afraid I think the situation is that FOM have exclusive deals with broadcasters in most countries and that if you want to access F1 in a particular country then the only legitimate way is to accept whatever package the broadcaster in that country has that includes the F1 content.

 

The UK is slightly odd at the moment in that the BBC were the exclusive broadcaster but they did a deal with Bernie and Sky to allow them to get out of their contractual obligations to FOM by sharing (unequally) the rights with Sky. I'm very concerned that when that deal ends, F1 will only be available in the UK as part of a subscription service.

[Morbus]

If I understood the OP correctly, he's looking for something that isn't illegal. downloading a race video from the newsgroups is illegal unless specifically released for it by the respective broadcaster.

 

Yeah, F1 police will shoot you dead for being a fan, that they will! Don't watch F1 races! You'll die.

[FatHippo]

If there is no legal way, then maybe I'll just take a break from it until they make a broadband option available. 

 

Have you checked what the Canadians, Mexicans etc have to offer? Maybe they broadcast on free TV? Or as has been said before Germany and Belgium broadcast on Free TV. shouldn't be that difficult to adjust your dish to catch a European satellite. And it's perfectly legal.

[Talisker]

Just wait until Bernie goes, maybe in about 2048, and you'll then be able to pay a reasonable subscription for high quality online streaming of F1. 

[Nemo1965]

Totally agree.  In my view it's one thing for someone from the UK - who pays a UK licence fee and is perhaps holidaying in the US to use a VPN to access content.  It's another altogether for someone in the US to bypass legitimate rights protection systems - and stream UK content - just because he's too cheap to pay for it... 

 

Additionally - it maybe legal to make a copy of a tv programme for your own purposes - but it's illegal to share that on the internet for others.  

 

I agree with you if we talk about drama and music (produced by writers, actors, independant financiers and so forth) you should not try to bypass intellectual copyright laws and restrictions. You actually prevent private artists to produce income.

 

However...

 

I just can't feel the same way about F1-racing. Why? Because in all intents and purposes F1 excists not only because but also FOR companies to advertise their goods. Basically, if you have to pay to watch F1, you are paying advertisers to bring advertisments to your attention. Why should I pay 20 euro's per month to watch Red Bull throw their product in my face?

 

So, yeah, I admit: I use VPN servers to watch F1-broadcasts, both live and recorded, and I am aware I actually have no right to. I find it an excellent solution.

[SanDiegoGo]

I was going to PM some suggestions but a newly registered member asking about such things smacks of FOM scouting for sources to shut down before the season begins... and rightfully so. You go get 'em, FOM.

Edited by SanDiegoGo, 15 February 2014 - 17:01.

[chunder27]

Why should anyone go get anyone?

 

Publicising these sites is the same as doing the same with movies and games, someone somewhere will always find a way to go elsewhere and find it. A lot of the file hosting sites have been banned by Virgin my broadband supplier, this is great, now I can't download a lot of free files for games I have, that are free to play and modify, yet because some twatty film company has big lawyers I can not get on these sites anymore, I never used them for torrenting movies or games.

 

Streaming actually isnt that bad, the site that hosts the stream is, but watching it???  I am not sure how you prove that.

 

I will have to do without a lot of sport this year, MotoGP, F1 most races and some other things, it is the way sport is now.

 

BUT it is only this way because some duffers are prepared to pay over the odds for sport, like football, NFL, GP, rugby, cricket.  If you don't pay, then you don't watch, but if a lot start not paying and cancelling then maybe somehting might get done about it and it might start to drift to normal telly again.

 

But it won't, because most people are sheep and will happily pay for things above and beyond their value, it is what Britons do better than any other race, it is the reason for lots of problems in my country sadly.

[wrcva]

If there is no legal way, then maybe I'll just take a break from it until they make a broadband option available. 

 

 I cancelled my cable sub two months ago as well (while bumping up my download speed).  Between OTA TV, roku box, and intelligent TVs (streaming netflix, amazon, hulu) we are not missing anything, with the exception of not having a solution to viewing F1.   This season I'll follow F1 on live timing.   We need to hit all these telecomm, and cable monopolies (that pretend to be content providers) where it hurts.   I would rather pay subscription fee for something I like and use vs. get a pile (or "bundle") of s*hit 98% of which I do not use or need.   In the short term we will have some bumps on the road though, putting up with internet access throttling until people wake up and force the legislature to secure the neutrality of net access.  

[grackle]

Hrrm. It seems that I'll be joining you bunch. I'm a NASCAR and F1 follower primarily which has never been an easy thing from Canada. When the States did their NBCSN and FoxS1 divvying up of coverage rights Canada was left with TSN and the old SPEED. Rogers watchers are going to lose SPEED at the end of this month.

At this point I've ordered VMedia, an IPTV provider, which is in line with our governing bodies. (No known relation to that pickle guy.)  I'm ot sure of how much of an ordeal this will turn out to be. That the licensing body has indeed licensed them, gives me some hope that copyright trolls won't be on my ass.

grack

[tifosiMac]

Its quite sad Bernie and FOM have forced fans in many countries down these routes. I'm glad the author managed to get to watch F1 legitimately for very little cost though. They must realise they are completely ruining the potential for coverage? Although it doesn't say it in the article I am sure the popularity of F1 has plummeted in Portugal after the movee to SportTV and the blocking of RTL. If France is anything to go by I think that would be a safe assumption and I think its a terrible state of affairs. How on earth is the sport expected to attract new fans if they are expected to pay through the nose and go out of their way to watch it? Short sighted in the extreme, and its good to see its not just Britain that has it bad and in fact has it better than many places.

[SenorSjon]

You know it is Vettel's fault and not due to paywalls.

[Nemo1965]

Its quite sad Bernie and FOM have forced fans in many countries down these routes. I'm glad the author managed to get to watch F1 legitimately for very little cost though. They must realise they are completely ruining the potential for coverage? Although it doesn't say it in the article I am sure the popularity of F1 has plummeted in Portugal after the movee to SportTV and the blocking of RTL. If France is anything to go by I think that would be a safe assumption and I think its a terrible state of affairs. How on earth is the sport expected to attract new fans if they are expected to pay through the nose and go out of their way to watch it? Short sighted in the extreme, and its good to see its not just Britain that has it bad and in fact has it better than many places.

 

The thing is that sportmarketeers assume that marketingresearch is a reliable way to measure the interest of customers for certain services.

 

Pardon me, I'll translate that, or give an example. Here in the Netherlands, a couple of years ago, a new Sports Channel was going to open shop. They (Sport 7) had a service that offered live soccer from the Dutch soccerleague, for about 1,50 guilders per week (0,5 euro). The director of the channel said: 'For four portions of fries, we are going to offer the most popular sport in the Netherlands.'

 

It could not fail. But it did. Sport 7 went bankrupt within 2 months. Nobody wanted to pay 0,50 euro to watch it.

 

The same happened when another channel did not put their program behind an decoder, but changed the format so you 'could' watch 2,5 hours of soccer on sunday-evening (instead of the 1 hour as before).

 

1 million viewers disappeared. They did not want to watch.

 

Moral of the story, dear FOM: be very, very careful to assume that people are willing to give half an euro - or even an hour of their time extra- to watch anything. 

[jgh]

http://michael-brown...utting-the-cord

Any idea if his technique of getting a VPN with the server located in Europe and then signing up for an iPlayer account will actually do the trick? Is there an easier way? If not I'm completely willing to try it out. 

 

Anyone have any other proven (legit) methods to be able to watch recorded races and qualifying sessions that don't include bit torrents? 

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

I am trying to solve the same issue currently, and in speaking with a number of my colleagues they have done the exact same thing at home. This is a legitimate way to watch F1, and proven. You get a VPN service that with a UK IP routing option. Depending on the service you use, it could cost 3-4 dollars a month, and go up from there depending on what you require. A basic one will be 3-4 a month.  My colleagues used the one mentioned in the site you posted, as well as this one. https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/. I am shortly going to be dropping DirecTV, signing up for Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and purchasing a VPN service.

 

Good luck.

[Rakaman]

In cases like this it's nice to live in a place with actual problems so no one cares what anyone streams or downloads. No one can be bothered complaining about it being illegal to download some tv show or sport event when hundreds of thousands go without water or food, corruption is rampant, and there's lost of crime. If you were to tell the police someone was illegaly downloading something they probably arrest you for wasting their time (then you'd give them like 20 bucks and be on your way). 

[Risil]

In cases like this it's nice to live in a place with actual problems so no one cares what anyone streams or downloads. No one can be bothered complaining about it being illegal to download some tv show or sport event when hundreds of thousands go without water or food, corruption is rampant, and there's lost of crime. If you were to tell the police someone was illegaly downloading something they probably arrest you for wasting their time (then you'd give them like 20 bucks and be on your way). 

 

I sure am glad I live in a pre-cosmic catastrophe world where teenagers aren't forced to get inside womb-like 80 foot tall robots to fight giant ladybirds that cry acid and for some reason are all named from bits of the Bible.